Are the ones in AU also commonly called "Aggressive House Spiders" and "Hobo Spiders"? I've had a few building their funnel webs around the foundation of my house--I hate using chemicals, but the exterminator took good care of them. Maybe I should have had him spray my kayaking boots--might have killed the stench! Shawn Peter Osman wrote: > >Regarding Funnel webs - these are quite a poisonous spider resident in >Sydney for which there is now an antivenene. In the days when there wasn't >an antivenene I had the pleasure of accompanying such a spider in the top >right hand corner of my car windscreen across the Sydney Harbour Bridge in >the middle of rush hour - the only relevance to kayaking is that I always >check my kayak boots to ensure there are no spiders in them! (My boots >aren't allowed in the house). -- Shawn W. Baker 0 46°53'N © 2000 ____©/______ 114°06'W ~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^\ ,/ /~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^ baker_at_montana.com 0 http://www.geocities.com/shawnkayak/ *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced/forwarded outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Are the ones in AU also commonly called "Aggressive House Spiders" and "Hobo Spiders"? I've had a few building their funnel webs around the foundation of my house--I hate using chemicals, but the exterminator took good care of them. I was recently bitten by what appears to have been a "House Spider" or "Hobo Spider", and I can tell you for sure, I don't want that to happen again. I was recently cut pretty badly by a chain saw (it has not been my year), and I can say with certainty I'd take the chain saw over the spider any day. Before, I would not allow anyone to kill an insect or spider in or around my house. Now, I kill everything in sight. And before you judge, ask yourself: have you ever been bitten by one of these things? If not, well, . . . 'nuf said. Mark *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced/forwarded outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
The exterminator told me that their venom has varying effects on people, and it also depends how much you're injected with. I've been bitten 10-15 times, and while it wasn't pleasant, I would rather have the spider bite than the chainsaw (but preferably neither, thank you!) I had a quarter-sized sore that just looked like any other bug bite, but it didn't heal for about 10 days. I understand that these bites can actually kill your skin--the venom eats the flesh. These spiders are a close relative of the Brown Recluse or "Fiddleback" Spider. Up close, these bad boys have big huge poison glands that are quite visible, and quite nasty looking. When you step on them, they squish just like any other spider, though! Shawn SRI wrote: > > Are the ones in AU also commonly called "Aggressive House Spiders" and > "Hobo Spiders"? I've had a few building their funnel webs around the > foundation of my house--I hate using chemicals, but the exterminator > took good care of them. > > I was recently bitten by what appears to have been a "House Spider" or "Hobo > Spider", and I can tell you for sure, I don't want that to happen again. I > was recently cut pretty badly by a chain saw (it has not been my year), and > I can say with certainty I'd take the chain saw over the spider any day. > Before, I would not allow anyone to kill an insect or spider in or around my > house. Now, I kill everything in sight. And before you judge, ask > yourself: have you ever been bitten by one of these things? If not, well, . > . . 'nuf said. > Mark -- Shawn W. Baker 0 46°53'N © 2000 ____©/______ 114°06'W ~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^\ ,/ /~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^ baker_at_montana.com 0 http://www.geocities.com/shawnkayak/ *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced/forwarded outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
My neighborhood and particularly my house is infested with this recent import from abroad. After taking one into the Oregon Extension Service I picked up their brochure on spiders. My specimen was a Giant House Spider - it's legs extended beyond the lg. canning jar opening. It's a very close relative to the smaller Aggressive House spider and to the Brown Recluse spider. The house spiders were first noticed in the Seattle area approximately three decades ago and are replacing the native species of funnel web spiders. They like low areas or cracks under the house siding trim and are commonly seen indoors near moisture - like bathrooms or wet gear in garages. I found one on my wetsuit which I had slung over my shoulder. I had put it over a crate in the garage after returning from sailboarding at the gorge. I now shake out my neoprene. Their bites are painless to the point that people are usually unaware that they have been biten until the onset of symptoms. The Aggressive's bite is similar to the Recluse's bite. This is usually an ulcerative wound which may not heal for months. Grafts usually fail. Some people experience a severe drop in their blood platlet level accompanied by a migraine quality headache lasting up to two weeks. The Giant House Spider or Common House Spider has a less severe bite. I'm not clear on the distinction between the Hobo spider and the other House spiders. I think that the name "Hobo spider" in now the preferred name of the Aggressive House Spider. The males search for females when the weather cools. I'm currently finding one to three a night usually in my bedroom. The males can be identified by large black tips at the ends of a pair of small appendages in front of the fangs. If you have these in your area, now is the time to be careful to store your gear off the floor and to shake out your shoes and paddling clothing. Bill *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced/forwarded outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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